‘We Are Thrilled’: Popular Aus Venues Receive Fed Govt Live Music Funding

Venues across the country are finally benefiting from the Morrison Government’s $30.9 million music industry funding package, with the first round of Live Music Australia grant recipients revealed.

Over the next four years, the Live Music Australia initiative will provide $22.5 million “to assist thousands of Australian small businesses with grants for artist costs and to invest in equipment or infrastructure to establish or upgrade live music venues and schedule more performances”.

A slew of beloved live music venues have been named grant recipients in the first round of funding, including NSW's Crowbar ($26,000), Metro Theatre ($65,000), City Recital Hall ($25,000), The Lansdowne Hotel ($46,575), Marrickville Bowling Club ($18,600) and Camelot Lounge ($24,804), Queensland’s The Tivoli ($50,000) and Sol Bar ($22,285), Adelaide’s Lion Arts Factory ($39,000) and Jive ($30,000), Victoria’s Yah Yahs ($24,223), Bakehouse Studios ($39,660), 170 Russell ($30,000) and The Labour In Vain ($30,000), WA's Freo.Social ($24,000) and Settlers Tavern ($43,625), Tasmania's The Grand Poobah Bar ($30,000) and more.

APRA AMCOS called this week’s funding announcement “a boon for local music and the economy”.

"From Hobart to Exmouth and Darwin to outback Queensland and the eastern seaboard, we are thrilled to see the first round of this funding supporting artists and venues from every corner of the country,” APRA AMCOS CEO Dean Ormston said.

"Live music is the beating heart of the Australian music industry, supporting the careers of songwriters and musicians at every stage of their career and propelling their success both at home and around the world.

"This funding, a direct result of APRA AMCOS advocating with other key industry organisations for a broad based tax offset for the presentation and development of live music, is the first step in seeing how live music not only supports the careers of artists, but helps drive the hospitality and tourism sectors and supports communities nationally.

"Given the cross-portfolio value and benefits the music industry delivers - arts, exports, small business, domestic and international tourism, education, health, regional development – we urge the Australian Government to ensure progressive tax policies including rebates, offsets and R&D incentives for the sector are implemented as a priority over the next term of government.

"As the remaining rounds of this funding are distributed over the next three years, it is also vital that state, territory and local government ensure they have the regulatory frameworks in place to ensure that live music thrives.

"A nationally coordinated approach across government to cut red tape and remove bad planning decisions that close down live music venues must be a priority if Australian music is to succeed locally and globally and we can aim to become one of the few net exporters of music.”

Applications for the next round of Live Music Australia funding are now open, with more details available here.